


Secrets

by SilverNight88



Category: Invaders (Marvel), Marvel (Comics), S.H.I.E.L.D. (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Real World, Anal Sex, Bodyguard, Bodyguard Romance, Businessmen, Dom/sub, Dominance, Drunken Kissing, Family Secrets, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Jacqueline Falsworth - Freeform, Kissing, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Characters Mentioned - Freeform, Mistaken Identity, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Past Child Abuse, Rough Sex, Secrets, Sex, Spies & Secret Agents, Top Jim, Violence, aquaria nautica neptuna, bottom namor, fish fry, jim and namor hiding things from each other, jimor - Freeform, leonard mckenzie, mafia, namor being a brat and jim not letting him get away with it, namora - Freeform, steve rogers - Freeform, thakorr, thakorr is an asshole, this work was a collaberation between me and a good friend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-09-06 01:45:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16822627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverNight88/pseuds/SilverNight88
Summary: Namor McKenzie is a rich business man who needs protection from his grandfather who was just released from prison and is looking for revenge against the one who put him there, though Namor insists he can handle things on his own his mother Fen McKenzie, hires a bodyguard to protect him.Jim Hammond is an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and works as a bodyguard to cover the secret that he is in fact a spy sent to find evidence that Namor was involved with his Grandfather's more shady operations as well as a way to put Thakorr back in jail for good. He can't let his emotions get the better of him even when he is tempted by the handsome man he is guarding.Will Namor be able to face his grandfather after everything Thakorr had done to him? Will Jim put his job before his heart or can they be together? Both men have their secrets but as they grow closer will they be able to trust one another?





	1. The Kiss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AtlantiSapphire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtlantiSapphire/gifts).



** Secrets **

Namor McKenzie hated paperwork but it seemed that in order to keep things running smoothing at Oracle Inc. he had an endless supply of paper work to get through almost every day, which was why when his cousin burst through his doors unannounced he was more than happy to give her his attention.

“Nita what are you planning?”

Namor looks up from his work as Nita plops down in the chair usually reserved for clients and meeting partners across from his dark cherry wood desk. The desk was huge and covered in papers, sticky notes left by his receptionist and his computer. His green eyes are narrowed in suspicion.

“Me? Oh, nothing at all dear cousin!”, Nita says in a sugar sweet voice as she peeks over the top of her overlarge dark sunglasses, her smile was faker than the workers in his office paying him compliments.

Namor gives his little cousin a _look;_ it clearly says that he doesn’t believe a word that’s coming out of her mouth. He raises an eyebrow, sets down his pen, and waits. Nita picks up the iced coffee she brought in with her and makes a loud slurping sound as she drinks through the straw. He sighs before picking up his phone, checking his messages, ten missed ones from mother. _Fen will be on the warpath later._

“I told you I don’t want any kind of celebration.”

“It’s your birthday!”

“So you _are_ planning something.”

“Damn it.”

Namor has a small smile on his face as he looks up from his phone. Nita’s pouting did nothing to dispel the fact that she was a teenager no matter how many times she insisted on being treating like an adult. The eighteen year old was attending college in the city and had insisted on doing the experience like a normal student. Namor hoped she was happy with her dorm and classes but he still missed having her around the mansion, with Fen gone on her many trips, and choosing to spend time on the beaches and spas rather than the city, Namor felt the large mansion they lived in had gotten too quiet. It was just him now with the servants who kept everything neat and tidy. He was glad she was back for the weekend and Namor hoped maybe she would be spending more time around the house now that she there was a break in her studies.

He closes his phone and slips it into his pocket. He picks up his pen once more and makes a few notes on his paper.

“Nita, Fen is coming and you know how she is. There is no need for a party.”

“Hey buddy!” Nita points her drink at him and scowls, “You’re not turning thirty everyday and as for Auntie Fen I think she has other things to worry about you know.”

Namor sighs he did know, and he knew it was the reason why Fen had been sending him messages nonstop for the last two days as she made her way home to New York from the other side of the world, her flights having been delayed by the weather in Australia. His mother was paranoid with good reason.

“ _He_ won’t do anything, at least not yet, he is just getting out of prison and he won’t risk doing anything to comprise his freedom.”

 ** _Thakorr_**.

His grandfather Thakorr Thalloson alleged Head of the Mafia, alleged killer of his cousin, his childhood abuser, and the man who hated his guts more than anything in the world. A shiver runs down Namor’s spine when he remembers his grandfather’s cold gray eyes on that last day. Holding Nita in his arms as she cried and watching as Thakorr was being taken away by the detectives, he knows that someday his grandfather would make him answer for what had happened even though none of the family had testified at his trial Namor knew they were still in danger.

“Namor?”

Nita’s concerned voice pulls him out of his memories; he gives her a half smile, “You’re looking more like Namora every day.”

His cousin, Aquaria, hated that nickname, but he liked to tease her with it. That last day before Nita became an orphan he remembers her look of disgust as she voiced her displeasure; ‘ ** _Namor_** _, I don’t know why Fen and Leonard chose that name but it’s not fair that I was saddled with it as well. What does Namor even mean?’_

Nita took that name too, though she never went by the lengthened version Namorita, instead only answering to her nick name, was like her mother in that way too.

Nita gives him a sad look before standing up and coming over to give him a hug from behind, her arms wrapped around his chest while her coffee cup was dangerously close to spilling on his Armani suit.

“I miss her too… but we can’t let Thakorr win. Our lawyers are on the case, this appeal won’t stand and he will go back to prison for the rest of his rotten life.”

He pats her arm and nods, “You’re right Nita. I’m sure we’ll be fine, and really mother worries too much. Everything will be _fine_.”

Namor speaks knowing that this is more for Nita’s sake than trying to convince himself that it was true. He hopes that this party was going to at least distract Nita for the evening, though the last party she threw lasted the whole weekend.

“Well I guess a small party won’t hurt. What time does it start?”

Nita gives him one last squeeze before letting go, beaming down at him she excitedly begins to tell him about all the plans she made; she had gotten him a special present, the best catering, which band she got to cover the party, and assuring him that it was all paid for by him of course. Namor shouldn’t have given her a limitless credit card, but he nods as she goes on to list everything that was being catered and the guest list. It seems like every person in New York’s high society was invited! He feels his phone buzz with another message from his mother. He ignores it knowing that later Fen would definitely being giving him an earful for not responding.

*****

Jim Hammond loved flying, first class of course, but his current seat in coach wasn’t great though he was lucky enough to snag a window seat, staring at the clouds that went by he felt a bit better about what lie ahead when he landed. Jim was an undercover agent, working for the spy organization known as S.H.E.I.L.D who in turn worked for the government but of course where was no trail to connect the super secret organization that the American people could find. They fronted as a bodyguard service and he was their top field agent… or he was before he went on his last assignment. Now he felt a sense of unease about going back into field now, after all he thought he would retire after protecting Lady Falsworth but his handler had called him begging for a favor.

 _I can always retire after this job,_ he told himself as he hopped on a plane to the states.

Jim had spent the last few years protecting an elderly woman named Jacqueline Falsworth. She was British with ties to the royal family, and Lady Falsworth had been quite the handful, he had thought that gig would have been a walk in the park, after all who could have known that Jacqueline was the most fearless old woman he would ever meet? Her idea of a quiet day in the park had been going to protests and throwing eggs at the corrupt politicians from her opened car limo window. Oh how they hated her, but they couldn’t even touch her because she was so high up in British society. Still Jim had to put himself between her and her enemies on more than one occasion when she would try to fist fight men younger than her by 60 years in the bars she liked to hang out in. Jacqueline was a regular old _spitfire_ , and her passing made Jim sad but she had gone peacefully in her sleep and not murdered by the people he was protecting her from. Jim had lost more than just a job; he had lost a very good friend.

Now Hammond looked over the electronic dossier that had only the most basic of information about his new assignment.

**_Summary of events:_ **

_Thakorr Talloson has just been released from prison, he had been sent to prison for the murder of his niece but it seemed that his lawyers discovered some evidence used during the trial was inadmissible and so the judge had to throw out the whole case release him. S.H.E.I.L.D. had been hired to uncover new facts and try to bring them to light. They jumped on this chance when correspondence was discovered between Fen McKenzie and several personal guard agencies were occurring, she was trying to secure a guard for her son, Namor McKenzie. S.H.E.I.L.D stepped in and made sure she chose them as her company._

**_Duties required for the Agent:_ **

_Protection of Namor McKenzie and regular check-ins to inform your handler [Captain Rogers] of any new developments._

**_Risks:_ **

_Potential loss of life or loss of client. Thakorr is known to be very dangerous and willing to kill or have others kill for him. His main target seems to be Namor but also Namorita and Fen may also be at risk._

**_Mission Time:_ **

_Ongoing and no end date in sight, subject to change depending on any evidence uncovered._

Jim closes the e-document and leans back in his chair, if it wasn’t for Steve he wouldn’t have taken this but his friend was occupied with another mission and couldn’t do it, so he had asked Jim to step in. As the plane landed Jim hopes this will be a quick and easy mission.

*****

Jim wished he had time to meet Namor, or at least his mother Fen McKenzie, or had a picture of the man or something, there was no trace of them online and the one picture of Namor he found online during a charity event was taken from behind and so he didn’t even know what his new client looked like. It really would have helped when he arrived at the mansion via a taxi from the airport to find a huge party going on and his clients nowhere in sight. He walks in with his duffel bag and is very unhappy with how lax the security is. He asks a few party goers for the host and was directed to a young blonde woman who was drinking champagne. She seemed too young to be doing so but he asked her about his clients. She had told him that Fen’s flight had been delayed, and when he told her who he was her green blue eyes had widened with surprise.

“What like a _real_ body guard really?” She had looked him up and down and he felt a flush of embarrassment, she gave a low whistle and a saucy wink, “Well, I have to say if my life were in _your_ hands I’d definitely feel safe.”

He stutters for a moment before she laughs, taking another sip of champagne, Even if Jim weren’t gay he wouldn’t have encouraged her interest. He was way too old for her, “If you could just tell me where’s a good place to wait? Or I can come back…”

“Oh you can’t leave! Auntie Fen would be really mad and you might lose the job.” She hooks her arm around his and steers him through the party, it extended through the large main hall, into the large banquet room, the band played a lively tune and many people were dancing, Jim was afraid that the girl would ask him to dance, but instead she moved past the dancers and the long table filled with drinks and food to a large winding staircase. As she walked she told him, “I’m Nita, and I didn’t catch your name?”

“Jim Hammond, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“I like that it has a nice ring to it.” She opens a door to a room on the second floor, “You can wait here, it’s quiet and I’ll send Auntie Fen when she gets here, should be a few hours.”

She leaves with a bounce in her step and her blonde ponytail swinging behind her before closing the door with a click. The room was large, it had a full set of couches and a nice fire place over which hung a flat screen TV, the balcony doors were made of glass and he could see a beautiful view of the Hudson river, meanwhile the rest of the room was filled with presents, he had seen servants taking them from those who were entering the mansion and when he had sheepishly told them he had no present they gave him the stink eye. This was where they had piled everything and there was a lot. He wondered whose party this was? _Probably Nita’s_ Jim thinks as he drops his bag next to an arm chair. This room seemed like it connected to another room, and Jim wanted to explore it but the gifts piled on the coffee table before the couches drew his attention. There was one particular gift that Jim focused on. It was different from the rest, wrapped in a plain brown paper and small, Jim moves towards it, picking it up gently he shakes it slightly trying to determine what it was.

It was too light to be a bomb, but it may be important… he was actually hopeful it could be evidence, maybe Thakorr had sent death threats or instructions if Namor had been a part of his gang then this would be a good a perfect way to do so, under the cover of a party it would be easy to communicate. However S.H.I.E.L.D. suspicions of Namor were not backed up by more than speculation at this point. Namor might or might not be working with his grandfather, and this whole charade might be something to keep the police off their backs. With Namora’s death Namor had inherited her share of his grandmother’s inheritance, coupled with his father’s death, and Thakorr being in jail it left Namor a very wealthy and powerful man. If there _were_ ties between the mafia and Namor, no one had uncovered it yet. Still it was all speculation and without any hard evidence no one would be caught. If Jim could secure information that then he could turn it over to the S.H.I.E.L.D. and he could be done with his mission without having to bother meeting the clients.

He takes a breath, if it was a bomb then better he be harmed than Nita, after only meeting her for a few moments he felt strangely protective of her. Jim rips out the package and it explodes.

*****

Namor had been hiding, though he wouldn’t admit that to Nita, he had enough of people and the party goers wouldn’t miss him, in fact it would take some time for anyone to know he was gone due to the amount of people who showed up. He often was used to being the center of attention but he liked his privacy and so making the excuse of having to answer his phone he went up to his room. Ignoring the presents and finally returning his mother’s latest phone call.

“I called you five times Namor. _Five times_. You haven’t replied to **any** of my messages.” fen's cool voice was reprimanding.

“I apologize Mother,” Namor was used to her cutting straight to the point and didn’t remark on her lack of a greeting, “Nita has been keeping me busy.”

Fen sighed over the phone, “You had me worried, I thought something had happened.”

“I’m fine, and so is she, you need to let me handle things, this won’t be like the last time.”

“I want to trust you Namor but the threat is too real so I’m taking matters into my own hands. I’m in California about to board; I will be there in a few hours. Tomorrow we should have a family dinner.”

“I can make arrangements.” Namor doesn’t try to convince her since he knows she won’t listen to reason over the phone, “Does dinner at the _La Bernardin_ sound good?”

“Yes it will have to do, and Namor… happy birthday.”

“Thank you Mother.”

The phone went silent and he stays on an extra minute to be sure she hung up before closing it him. He stares out of the window at the people who mill about his backyard, chatting and laughing as they drank sparkling champagne from pretty crystal glass flutes, not having a care in the world. He doesn’t know how long he stood there dissociating from reality while watching them as though they were a different species. He never felt like he fit in among them, there was always some invisible barrier keeping him from having real friends. He comes to when he hears his outer door open. His room was more of a suite, he had his own bedroom and there was a door connecting it to a receiving room, where he had furniture and his TV and access to his balcony, large closet and personal bathroom. Voices speak in low tones; one of them was Nita and a male voice? The door shuts and when he makes his way over to the door he finds the most _gorgeous_ man he had ever seen in his life standing among his presents and covered in silver glitter. He had to take a breath before leaning as casually as he could against the door frame and speaking. He hoped his words weren’t slurred from all the drinking he had done earlier.

*****

Glitter was _everywhere_. In his hair, on his face, he coughed out some glitter; he couldn’t believe how much had been inside the package! Jim almost jumps when he hears a voice behind him.

“Well Nita is full of surprises, though I wouldn’t have thought she would get me a present quite so… _shiny_.”

Turning Jim sees a man leaning against the door that had been shut previously, the one he suspected connected to another room and he could see just past him was the corner of a bed. Jim feels there is glitter in his mouth and even in his throat. Hammond tries to speak but can only cough a bit as he hastily sets down the package. Meanwhile the man had moved closer, and Jim takes a moment to look at him; he was tall though Jim had maybe an extra inch of height on him, his eyes were a vibrant green that sparkled as he took in Jim’s appearance. He had black hair that was slicked back and his black suit was an expensive cut, currently he was without the jacket but the white shirt only emphasized how tight it was stretched across his chest.

Jim was about to tell him who he was, and that there was some mistake, he figured this man was a drunk party goer who had wandered up here. Jim swallows more glitter as he realizes just how attractive this man was, his cheekbones were as sharp as his eyebrows and there was a half grin on his face, the smell of alcohol, _maybe whiskey,_ hit Jim’s nose as the man got far too close into his personal space. The stranger was looking up at him, his voice; a deep baritone was low as he continued, “Violet eyes… Alexandria’s Genesis… does that mean you’re perfect?”

Jim’s blonde eyebrows burrowed in confusion as he tried to make sense of what the man said, but his confusion was interrupted by warm lips touching his own. The kiss was firm, slightly wet as the stranger closed the space between them; he felt a hand on his shoulder as his own arms hung limply. He was far too shocked by the man kissing him to do much more than wonder if he was dreaming. Maybe his exhaustion had finally caught up with him. The kiss was more than nice, the man certainly knew how to kiss, and his body pressed close enough that Jim could feel something else as well. Obviously this man was attracted to him, very much so, and Jim couldn’t help but think about taking this kiss a few steps further.

*****

He had been stunned at the man's eyes, they were a vibrant violet hue, a rational part of Namor's mind knew that it was due to being born with a lack of melanin in the eyes that caused some people to have eye color that looked purple. The shade was very rare but it didn't help that he thought of the myth of purple eyes he had found once while surfing the internet. _People with purple eyes were perfect and rare._ Though the myth had been debunked as rumor he couldn't help but believe it as he kissed the blonde man.

Namor presses himself closer to the taller man thinking he would need to thank Nita later for this. It wasn’t often that Namor paid for sex with people but he had more than a few escorts and sex workers were in his phone’s contact list. This one was new, and beautiful even without the glitter, Namor likes how hot the man’s lips feel and he tries to slip his tongue into the man’s mouth but finds himself being pushed away. The blonde is breathing hard and his eyes were so striking, that Namor gives him a smirk as he grabs the man’s ass to drag their bodies closer and now he can feel just how hard the man was. His erection pressed against Namor’s through their suit pants and its all that McKenzie needs to go back in for another kiss, this time not trying to put his tongue into the blonde’s mouth focusing on giving him a soft lips that barely brushes their lips as he whispers, “I have a shower big enough for two and you’re covered in glitter, how about we make use of it?”

He was thinking a quick fuck in the shower should be enough; Namor had no intention of having this man stay overnight and his mother knowing about it. The man has his hands on Namor’s chest and he likes that, but the man pushes him back again, not far enough though, they were still very close to each other.

“I think there’s been a mistake… I’m from S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Namor chuckles, “I don’t make mistakes.”

Before the blonde could reply the door banged open and Nita is rushing in, “Namor are you in here? We’re about to cut the cake and you-“ Nita stops dead, looking over the two men who were still too close to each other she blinks then gives Namor a slow grin. “I can tell everyone to wait. Sorry to bother you two.”

She closes the door and Namor looks back to the man in his arms.

“Wait… you’re Namor? McKenzie?” _Of course he’s Namor, just how many Namor’s were there?!_ Jim admonishes himself but the idea that he had been making out with his future client is feels like someone threw a bucket of ice cold water on his head and he pulls himself out of Namor’s arms and steps back.

“Why yes? I thought you knew that.” Namor crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow.

“I didn’t… why did you kiss me?”

Namor cocks his head and gives him another smile, it was more of a leer and Jim notices that Namor’s lips sparkle with silver glitter, he wondered how it got there then Jim wanted to snack himself on the head. Of course he got it from Jim because they were just kissing. Now Jim was fretting over the kiss so much that he almost didn’t hear Namor’s reply.

“You’re my present. I figured Nita hired you from an escort service though I will be honest and say I haven’t heard of S.H.I.E.L.D before.”

“It’s a personal guard service… not an escort- _I’m not_ an **escort** … and you kissed me because you thought I was... oh god.”

Namor’s smile slips and in its place there is a bored looking expression as though he was unamused by Jim’s hysterics but Jim didn’t feel he was being hysterical, he was worried that he was about to lose his job and let down his friend.

“No need to look too much into this, a simple mistake I’m sure, and not one worth remembering.” Namor brushes off some glitter from his sleeves before moving past Jim to gather his jacket from the chair he had thrown it over, pulling it on.

Jim replies, he felt a bit of anger at Namor treating him so callously, and wanted to put that arrogant prick in his place, “I thought you _didn’t_ make mistakes.”

Namor stills for an instant before continuing to pull on his jacket he gives Jim a withering glare before moving towards the door, “I’m needed below, they can’t eat the cake without the birthday boy, why don’t you rejoin the party instead of _lurking_ about up here.”

It was phrased as a suggestion but Jim could tell it was a command and he was more than a little annoyed, after his long flight, finding the house full of people, getting glittered bombed and almost sexed up by the client he was hired to protect, and now being ordered around he felt he had nearly reached the end of his patience but he bites his tongue and nods, following Namor out of the door.

A few minutes ago they had been plastered against each other but now they had a healthy distance apart. He watches Namor move with grace and lets him get ahead. When they reach the top of the stairs Jim is surprised by the loud shout of HAPPY BIRTHDAY from all the people who had gathered at the bottom, led by a smirking Nita they began to sing as Namor stood on the top. Jim stood behind him and self consciously tried to dust the glitter off his hair and clothes as he watches McKenzie. Namor seemed at ease with all the attention and when the cake was wheeled over he steps down the stairs like royalty, reaching the bottom the people cheer and he lifts up both hands to silence them, “Thank you all so much for coming to my _little_ party,” a sprinkling of laughs sound out since this party was anything but small, “But a very special thank you to my little cousin Nita who arranged everything.”

Namor locks eyes with his cousin his tone solemn, “You are a ray of sun anytime you are around Nita and without you nothing is possible, your mother would have been so proud if she could see the woman who stands before me today.”

Nita wipes away a small tear at Namor’s speech before responding in a cracked voice, “Yeah yeah alright you sap, just go blow out your candles.” He gives her a smile and leans over the cake with was decorated with a underwater theme, small decorations of shells and seahorses lines the cake with the odd fish here and there, Nita yells out “Don’t forget to make a wish!” and Namor closes his eyes and blows out all the candles, the gathered people applaud as Namor straightens and orders them all to have a great time, thanking everyone for their gifts.

Jim wonders just what he was getting into. This Namor he saw seemed so far removed from the man who was kissing him earlier. He locks eyes with the man when he turns around to look up at him from the bottom of the stairs. Jim is keenly aware of Namor’s stare and he doesn’t break it, doesn’t turn away, he just watches until Namor is distracted by Nita pulling him over to the cake, which had been moved by the servants off to the side of the staircase and they handed her a plate with a piece on it. She smashes it into Namor’s face while laughing and the cold look he had given Jim just seconds ago disappears as he lets out a loud booming laugh. Jim nearly tripped on the stairs when he heard it; he had been making his way down to join the party. _Why am I so affected by him?_ Jim ignores the looks that other people give him as he blends as best he could into the crowd while still covered in glitter.

He spends the rest of the long night, watching Namor from far away, wondering just how he was supposed to do his job when he kept replaying their kiss in his mind, and remembering how _good_ it felt to have Namor’s body against his own. _Maybe I’m just lonely, it’s not like I had very many dating opportunities in the last few years._ Jim takes a glass of champagne but wishes he had something stronger. He had a feeling this quick and easy favor to Steve had just gotten more complicated.


	2. Chapter 2

“I certainly hope it’s not the soulmate talk again mother?” Namor says casually as he picks up his wine glass and takes a drink.

Fen McKenzie was what one could call, a formidable woman, she was beautiful, with the same dark hair as Namor, the same green eyes, and the same arch to her brows that made people think she was always displeased with them, which she usually was. She spent most of her recent years touring the world, she had the money and she used it, on private yachts, and diamonds, and beautiful clothes. She hardly bothered with the family business after Namor took over. She had taken in Namorita after her mother had died, and though Namor was the one who practically raised his little cousin by being there for her every day, Fen loved Nita like her own daughter. They had a late start to the day, the party last night had gone on for hours, and when Namor woke he found his mother had left a message for him and Nita that she would be a tad late to their dinner at the _La Bernardin_ that evening.

“Nita have some of the red, it’s excellent. No, Namor not the soulmate talk again, though you should be applying yourself. Do you think soul mates just drop into your lap? I found your father, captaining his ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and if my yacht hadn’t broken down in the middle of the ocean I wouldn’t have found him.”

_She always turns soft at the mention of my father_ , Namor thinks as Nita eagerly reaches for the wine glass, he gives her a look, and she sighs before pulling her hand back and going back to her menu. Namor would not let his cousin do any underage drinking. He looks over the menu and waits for his mother to snap out of her memories of sunlight, champagne, and a forbidden love with a sea captain.

Fen returns her piercing gaze to her son, “As I was saying, this is about a matter that is far more important than a soulmate.”

Namor stills, nothing was more important that a soulmate, how many times had his mother told him that? Now he knows of only one thing that can make his mother worried.

“Grandfather?”

She nods, “You know he was released, I have no doubt that he is working to try and regain control of oracle inc. He is currently at home.”

Home. Atlantis. That was their family’s own privately owned island. It was in the middle of the Atlantic and was practically its own kingdom. At least that is how it felt when he grew up there when he was younger. After his father died in a boating accident Fen had returned home and he had lived there with his mother, and his grandfather. Namor’s knuckles turn white on his glass and he has to relax it to make sure he doesn’t break it. He hates thinking about the past. After Namora had died, she had been trying to leave the family, to take Nita with her. Namor, his mother, and Nita had left Atlantis to move to New York, to be closer to the company and to be away from the memories that haunted the place.

“-I won’t hear any arguments on this Namor. You will be guarded and Nita as well.”

Namor snaps his attention back to the present, his mother had been talking and he caught the end of her conversation, a bodyguard?

“Will my bodyguard be cute at least? Will I have someone handsome to look at while I’m doing my classes?” Nita in excited about the possibility of having some eye candy.

“You will be guarded Nita and you need to stay close to your guard. I have one myself, Argos. He is waiting outside in the limo.”

Argos was an old employee, he had worked for Fen for years and he may be in his 50’s but he could still throw a punch, and was more than enough for to protect his mother, he couldn’t fault her for her choice but he didn’t like the idea that someone was going to be with him all the time. Namor liked his privacy.

“Mother…”

“No Namor, I know that you think you can protect yourself but for me, I need this peace of mind, until we know what Thakorr has planned then I _need_ to know you will be safe,” she reaches out to grasp his hand, her eyes were worried, he only now notices the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, the crows feet were the only things his mother hated, she thought she looked too old, but she was timeless. She reaches for Nita’s hand as well, holding them both for a moment, “I need to know both of you are safe.”

He squeezes back. “Well then where is my guard? Am I going to meet him or will he be an invisible one?” His small teasing breaks the worried silence. Thakorr was a threat but Namor had to try and stay one step ahead of him.

Fen releases his hand and picks up her phone, pressing a button, “They are coming now. I have an app that sends an emergency signal that I want both of you to download, it can send messages to them, call them for an emergency.”

They order as they wait, a moment later Fen says, “Ah, here they are.”

Both of the younger McKenzies turn to look. I call dibs on the tall cute blonde one!!!” Nita claims in a singsong voice, recognizing Jim from last night.

“Nita that is Namor’s guard, yours is the other one, her name is Andromeda.”

The guard was a woman who Namor had never seen before; maybe the same age as Namor, she looked tough though. He moves his eyes to the next guard, and Namor’s breaks the wine glass in his hand. He had seen that the man he had **kissed** that man. The one who had been covered in glitter last night was the tall, cute, blonde one.

‘Son?” Fen’s worried voice is distant.

“Hey Namor are you ok?” Nita is worried at the cut he gave himself, he has to talk, he can’t, his mind is thinking about how he had been about to fuck his bodyguard last night. Now this man who Namor had been thinking about all day was going to be near him? Be close to him? He couldn’t.

“Mother I do not need a guard, I will be fine alone. Now if you can excuse me I need to go to the rest room.” He pushes away quickly before anyone can stop him.

*****

Jim hadn’t known what Namor’s reaction would be to finally being told that he was Namor’s personal guard and not just some random guard who wandered into his room at the party. He doesn’t get a chance to see it because Namor had already taken one look at him, gotten up, and left the table. When he arrived Nita waves at him and he gives her a small wave. Andromeda, was like Nita and her family, she came from an Asian descent though her accent told him she born American. Nita was the only one with an American accent, having been raised in the U.S. most of her life, while Fen and Namor still had slight influent ion of their homeland. Andromeda had muscles and he suspected she had at least two throwing knives, a gun, and perhaps a small sword tucked somewhere in her suit. He had learned to read the lines of clothing to suspect if people had weapons and she was a tall woman, taller than him, she would be a good guard for Nita so Jim was relaxed and hoped they would get along since they would be sharing info. He didn’t know her whole back story but Rogers had told him he would be working with another agent on this. He and Andromeda could share information and be each other backups, he knew from his time as an agent, a good partner was hard to find.

“Well, don’t just stand there! Go after my son and guard him.” Fen says as Jim comes up to the table, “Nita, this is Andromeda and she will be able to go anywhere with you, even the restroom at your college when you go back.”

“Great, but why couldn’t I have Jim? He is cute and I could have showed him off to my friends! Sorry Andromeda, no offense or anything.”

“I’ll live with the disappointment if you can follow directions.” Andromeda said in a cool bored tone as she stopped next to them while Jim keeps moving to the restrooms. He heard them start to talk about plans, how Nita should act, how she should listen got everything Andromeda said, and making escape plans. He would need to do that with Namor, the first rule of being a bodyguard? Letting the ones they were protecting know who was in charge, it saved lives when they didn’t have to constantly argue or deal with the whims of the rich people who employed them.

Jim enters the bathroom, he finds Namor at a sink, his hand was cut from the glass, and the blood dripped into the sink. He grabs a few paper towels; he had an emergency kit in the car he would use to drive Namor around in. For now he walks over and holds out the paper towels.

“That looks worse than it probably is.” Jim says in a professional voice. Namor cool green eyes meet his and Jim feels his heart beat a bit faster, like last night.

“I don’t need you.” Namor says as he takes the towels and wraps it around his bleeding palm. Jim’s lip twitches at the anger in Namor’s tone.

“Yet here I am.” He sighs, “Look what happened last night… let’s just move past that-”

“Did you know who I was?”

“No, not in the beginning.”

Namor fumbles the paper and it’s a mess, so Jim gets more, he doesn’t talk as he steps in close to Namor and moves the old bloody paper towels away, tossing them into the trash nearby. He grabs Namor’s injured hand and slowly cleans it, before using one to wrap it, “Hold it tight like this, it will stem the bleeding, and it looks like it’s just a small cut, probably won’t even need a band aid.” He realizes that he was holding Namor’s hand a bit too long and he drops his own hand. Jim waits for Namor’s reply.

“Are you expecting me to thank you?”

His small smile dips into a frown, _yeah Namor was going to be a pain in the ass._

“No, what I need from you is to listen.”

“Listen? To you? I already told you that I don’t need you, not as my bodyguard, I will take care of myself.”

“Not happening. I’m already paid for and I don’t drop a case, you mother is employing me and if you want me gone you have to talk to her, but I highly doubt she will let you go unsupervised with your grandfather on the loose.”

“You know nothing about my family than whatever you probably read in a file. So don’t try and make it seem like you care. If you want to guard me then fine. But don’t get in my way, I have work to get done and I don’t need a babysitter.”

Jim steps in closer, Namor doesn’t move, they have barely an inch between their bodies. Jim remembers how hot Namor had been last night, he wonders if Namor remembers too, from the way his eyes darted to Jim’s lips he thought so. “Listen Namor, I want to do my job but I can’t do that unless you listen to everything I say, when I say duck, you duck, when I say move , you move, whatever I tell you, you better get your _ass_ in gear otherwise you will end up with a bullet in your chest. You understand?”

Jim hadn’t meant to be so aggressive but he could tell that being just nice might have worked with Nita but with Namor he would need a firmer hand. “I’m not your baby sitter, I’m your protector, and you’re my protectee, and that means I’m in charge. You take my orders. Understand?”

Namor is furious, he wants to snap at man who was so tender one second, taking care of his small wound, and then so hard the next, _how dare he try to tell me what to do, the nerve of that man!_ But he can’t stop imagining himself kissing Jim’s lips, his heart is beating hard again, he feels like it about to beat right out of his ribcage, he feels warm, too warm, he can’t take this. He needs Jim to leave,

“Fine,” he bites out, “Now if you don’t mind, I do need to use the rest room. You can wait outside.” He pushes Jim back with his shoulder when he turns back to the mirror, looking at him in the reflection.

“Yes. Don’t be long Mr. McKenzie.”

Just as he leaves, Namor calls over his shoulder, “What is your name?”

“Hammond, Jim Hammond. But you can call me Agent Hammond.”

*****

The door swings shut and Namor grabs the sink, he feels sick, and why was that name stuck on a loop in his mind? _Jim, Jim, Jim._ Why couldn’t he slow down his breathing, was he sick? Suddenly he hold his chest, it feels like he is about to have a heart attack. Why did his heart sped up when Jim took control, when he was telling Namor what to do? No one had ever done that to him before. He needs to breath, he loosens the white shirt collar and the tie, to try and breath and he freezes, staring at his reflection in his mirror there was a faint light… it couldn’t be… he hurriedly unbuttons his white shirt, and pulls it open… it was.

His soul mark.

He stares; he had never seen it up close before, usually soulmarks happened in intimate settings. He had heard of it, heard about what happens. When a person met their soul mate their hearts would start to shine, from within the body, their hearts would glow an electric blue color. He watches the blue light from his heart beat with every pulse, with every heartbeat he would glow, it was so strange; it made his whole body light up from within. Showing his heart through his ribs and skin. Why now? Why now and not earlier, why not yesterday? Why… him?

It had to be Jim, there was no one else here, and he had felt his heart beat strangely last night, and now this? He had always thought that soul marks were supposed to be instantaneous then why didn’t he start glowing last night? Why didn’t Jim’s heart start glowing? It wasn’t like you could hide it… unless.

Unless Namor was not Jim’s soulmate? The thought made him feel like he was going to throw up. He knew what happened to people who that had happened to. His grandfather’s soulmate was his grandmother’s but she wasn’t his.

It happened, rarely. Where one person wasn’t the soul mate of another. Namor never even considered it a possibility for himself. He needed time, he had to hide this. He tries to remember the breathing exercises that he had taught himself when he began to have a panic attack remembering the abuse he went through with Thakorr. Deep breathes in, slow, steady, and his heart rate returned to normal, the glowing stopped. As long as he could keep it under control he could figure this out. He washes his face with his good hand and fixes his suit.

He couldn’t let Hammond know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will be updating with the next chapter as soon as I finish it!

**Author's Note:**

> This work was a collab and inspired by Buckysunshine, thanks so much for all the talks and wonderful ideas. :)
> 
> Comments and Kudos are always appreciated.


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